Container for transport, storage and handling

ABSTRACT

A container having a container wall with an open bottom which rests upon a transport lift element such as a pallet but without any interconnection between the container wall and the transport lift element. The container bottom lies wholly within the container wall and comprises a rigid member whose periphery conforms generally to the inner periphery of the container wall without being secured thereto.

v United States Patent [191 u 11 Fellbrink 1 51 F eb. 20, 1973 [54] CONTAINER FOR TRANSPORT 2,762,55l 9/1956 Fuller! .229/23 3,442,434 H1969 Simas ..229/23 R X STORAGE AND HANDLING 3,481,808 l2/l969 Wilkins cl al. ..229/23 C UX [75] Inventor: Karl Ali Fellbrink, Sundsvall,

Sweden Primary ExammerM. Henson Wood, Jr. [73] Assignee: Hans Hjalmar Gustafson, Sund- Assistant Examiner-John J. Love byberg, Sweden Attorney-Sommers & Young [22] Filed: Jan. 15, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 106,873 [57] ABSTRACT A container having a container wall with an open bot- [52] U.S. Cl. ..229/23 A I tom which rests "1 a transport lift element Such as a [51] Int. Cl. ..B65d 13/00 Pallet but without y interconnection between the 58 i f s zzg zg, R, 23 A, 23 BT, 23 C, container wall and the transport lift element. The C011- 229 I21 45 tainer bottom lies wholly within the container wall and comprises a rigid member whose periphery conforms generally to the inner periphery of the container wall [56] References Cited without being secured thereto.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,010,633 11/1961 Reher ..229/23 BT X 8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures VIII/II/I/I/IIIQ CONTAINER FOR TRANSPORT, STORAGE AND HANDLING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Because of the extensive changes occurring in recent years in the field of goods shipment and handling, resulting from the mechanical handling of goods by means of trucks, cranes etc., the demand for large-size packages and containers for products of different types has increased considerably. These large-size packages and containers are intended gradually to replace sacks and receptacles used to a large extent today in combination with pallets, and above all to eliminate manual handling at the time of filling and emptying of such containers and packages. This manual handling has been the reason why a number of enterprises have reduced the sack weights from 40-50 kg to -30 kg, which in its turn, has adversely affected the cost situation.

A number of different constructions of large-size containers, with a volume of above 200 liters, and intended to be of the throw-away type or for only a few usages, have been tested previously on the market with highly varying results. These containers usually have comprised an enlarged cardboard box model reinforced by stays and/or discs so as to be able to resist the load to which the box was subjected by the goods .therein. Also large-size sacks have been tested. Most of these solutions, however, never have been exploited, because, among other reasons, they did not have the strength required and did not withstand deformation in a satisfactory way. Some other constructions have been too complicated and, therefore, as throw-away containers, are impractical from a cost point of view. In recent years a number of enterprises have failed in producing a large-size container adapted for throwaway use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION is characterized substantially in that it comprises a plate-like supporting member of a rigid material disposed downwardly and within the container loosely in relation to the container wall. Such supporting member, at least along its upper edge portion, is placed all around with such a fit that the container is stiffened by the supporting member.

Large-scale tests have proved that the container according to the invention meets the strength requirements which a transport container of this kind has to satisfy. Because the container with its open bottom is placed loosely on the lift plate, the load of the goods is transferred to the lift plate and the container wall is subjected only to the radial pressure exerted by the goods on the wall. The container according to the invention has proved capable of withstanding also the stresses caused by heeling movements which often occur during shipment. Tests have further shown that the strength requirements are met with a container material used for containers of the throw-away type, such as for example plastic, paper, card-board, board,

fibers etc. The container is adapted for transporting numerous types of products, for example sand, granulate, pellets, flour, grain, piece goods, liquids etc. For liquid products or products sensitive to moisture, preferably a foil sack is placed within the container.

By the present invention, thus, a container has been provided which can be used for transporting a great variety of materials. The improved container may have large dimensions for the transport of large amounts of goods, and since it is of a simple and cheap construction, it is well adapted as a throw-away container. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is described in greater detail in the following by way of some embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein FIGS. 1-3 show lateral views, partly in section, of a container placed on a lift plate in the form of a pallet and provided with different types of supporting members;

FIG. 4 shows a similar view of a container placed on a plate and itself provided with means for lifting; and

FIG. 5 shows a similar view of a container placed on a pallet and provided with an extra staying member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The container shown in the Figures is illustrated only by the lower part of the container wall 1. The container may be of cylindrical, oval, or polygonal shape. The container is open and with its bottom edge placed on a lift plate, which for example, as shown in FIGS. 1-3 and 5, may be a pallet 2 or, as shown in FIG. 4, a plate 3. A simple plate (not shown) with a handle, for example, may be used as the top or cover of the container. In a container which, for example, is made of paper, plastic or like material, the upper part may be folded and glued or sewn.

According to the invention, a supporting member for staying the container is loosely inserted within the container. Said supporting member may be designed in different ways. FIG. 1 shows a supporting member 4 in the form of a plate spaced from the supporting surface of the pallet 2 by a spacing member shaped as a homogenous plate 5. In this case, the spacing member 4 and spacing member 5 may be separate parts, as shown, or be integral. The spacing member 5, furthermore, may be placed loosely on the pallet or be fastened thereon.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the supporting member, and spacing member, comprising two plates 6 with spacing ribs 7 therebetween. Alternatively, the lower plate 6 may be removed. As in the embodiment according to FIG. 1, the plate or-plates 6 and distance ribs 7 may be separate, loose or assembled parts, or they may be integral and placed loosely on the pallet 2 or fastened thereon.

FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment, comprising only onethick plate 8 placed loosely on the pallet 2 or fastened thereon.

Still another embodiment is shown in FIG. 4 where the supporting member is a plate 9 disposed on a spacing member 10 placed loosely or fastened on the plate 3. The container wall 1 and the spacing member 10 are provided with recesses 11 for inserting a lifting means therein. In FIG. 4 is shown by way of example a sack l2 to hold the goods to be transported. Also, in this embodiment, the supporting member and spacing member may be separate or integral.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment in which a frame 13 is placed outside the container to provide extra support for certain goods and which may also be used with containers made of a material of less inherent stability. In Figure no interior supporting member is shown, but an additional interior support member may, for example, be of the kind mentioned above in FIGS. 1-4, and may, for example, also include spacing members, where practical. Y

The supporting member 4, 6, 8 or 9 may be planar, as shown, or curved, or may have a concave upper surface. It further may have, besides the continuous shape shown, a grid shape or the like, depending on the goods to be transported and/or stored.

The upper edge of the supporting member should have a height above the lift plate which is so selected to the size and material of the container and to the goods in question that the desired form-stabilizing effect is obtained, and also such as to provide an increase in the friction between the supporting member and the container wall is obtained upon the occurrence of heeling movement of the pallet and container.

The supporting member may be provided, though not shown, with a suitable sealing material at the edges in order to improve the sealing against the container wall when goods of a certain type are transported.

It is essential for the supporting member that the elasticity and resilience between the member and the container be maintained during transport and in connection with stresses caused, for example, by heeling movements occurring during transport. This object is achieved, by providing that the supporting member is arranged loosely within the container and not fastened thereon, and given such a tit that the container is stiffened by the supporting member. In many cases, the spacing element is preferably placed loosely on the lift plate and not fastened thereon.

The container is handled mechanically by a lifting means, such as for example a fork truck, crane fork or the like, by giving the lift plate the shape of a pallet according to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 5, or by. designing the container and the spacing member such as shown in FIG. 4;

The container can be emptied in a simple way, for example by providing holes in the container wall or in the spacing member and lift plate. The emptying operation may also be carried out in another suitable way, for example by sucking.

As already mentioned, tests have proved the invention to be serviceable and to have sufficient strength also when the container is made of simple, cheap materials and given a large size (above 500 liters).

What I claim is:

l. A container comprising in combination,

a container wall with an open bottom whose inner surface defines the interior load-supporting sidewalls of the container,

a transport lift element supporting the bottom edge of said container wall but without any interconnection therebetween,

and a container bottom lying wholly within said container wall and comprising a rigid member whose periphery conforms to the inner periphery of said container wall but without beinfisecured thereto. 2. The container of claim 1 in w 1ch said container bottom comprises a plate and at least one spacing element for supporting said plate at a predetermined height above said transport lift element.

3. The container of claim 2 wherein said plate and said spacing elements are separate parts.

4. The container of claim 3 wherein said plate and said spacing elements are integral.

5. The container of claim 1 wherein said container comprises a first plate supported on said transport lift element, at least one spacing element supported on said first plate, and a second plate supported on said spacing elements.

6. The container of claim 1 wherein said container bottom comprises a single thick plate having a loose fit in relation to the said container wall along substantially the entire height of the plate edge.

7. The container of claim I which further includes a frame loosely surrounding the exterior of the container wall.

8. The container of claim 1 wherein said transport lift element comprises a pallet. 

1. A container comprising in combination, a container wall with an open bottom whose inner surface defines the interior load-supporting sidewalls of the container, a transport lift element supporting the bottom edge of said container wall but without any interconnection therebetween, and a container bottom lying wholly within said container wall and comprising a rigid member whose periphery conforms to the inner periphery of said container wall but without being secured thereto.
 1. A container comprising in combination, a container wall with an open bottom whose inner surface defines the interior load-supporting sidewalls of the container, a transport lift element supporting the bottom edge of said container wall but without any interconnection therebetween, and a container bottom lying wholly within said container wall and comprising a rigid member whose periphery conforms to the inner periphery of said container wall but without being secured thereto.
 2. The container of claim 1 in which said container bottom comprises a plate and at least one spacing element for supporting said plate at a predetermined height above said transport lift element.
 3. The container of claim 2 wherein said plate and said spacing elements are separate parts.
 4. The container of claim 3 wherein said plate and said spacing elements are integral.
 5. The container of claim 1 wherein said container comprises a first plate supported on said transport lift element, at least one spacing element supported on said first plate, and a second plate supported on said spacing elements.
 6. The container of claim 1 wherein said container bottom comprises a single thick plate having a loose fit in relation to the said container wall along substantially the entire height of the plate edge.
 7. The container of claim 1 which further includes a frame loosely surrounding the exterior of the container wall. 